Register.



Patented July II, I899.

M A. c. SPOFFORD.

REGISTER.

(Application filed Nov. 19, 1898.)

(No Model.) 4 Shady-Sheet l.

\AATNEISSEISH m: norms PETERS co, mofo-Ll'rnau wnsmuumn, n. c.

No. 628,556. Patented luly ll, I899. A. C. SPOFFORD.

REGISTER.

Application filed Nov. !9, 1898A 4 Sheets-$heet 2 Hi0 Modal."

g Q |N\/ENTU M @411 a 7 W \x/lmssses:

Jil W W Patented July ll, I899.

WTNBSSES:

TNE NORRIS PEYERS 60-, PHOTO-LUNG" WASHING ON, D. C,

No. 628,556. A. c. SPDFFORD- Patented luiy Ii, 1899.

REGISTER.

Application filed Nov. 19, 1898.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 4- (No Model.)

\X/ITNEZSSIEIS! 2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR O. SPOFFORD, OF GROVELAND, MASSACHUSETTS.

REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,556, dated July 1 1, 1899. Application filed November 19, 1898. Serial No. 696,913. (No model.)

To all toil/0772 it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR C. SPOFFORD, of South Groveland, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Registers,of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a register for indicating two sets of calculations, one set being indicated on individual indexes or registers operated by a plurality of keys and the other set being indicated on a total index or register operated by each key.

The invention consists in the improvements which I shall now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a register constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 represents a transverse section through the easing of the register, showing an end view of the operating mechanism. Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a detail section on the line 4. 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 represents a detail rear elevation,partly in section, on the line 5 5 of Fig. 6, showing the index-wheels and adjacent parts. Fig. 6 represents a view similar to Fig. 2, with portions broken away and showing the parts in another position. Fig. 7 represents a section on line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Figs. 8 and 9 represent sections on correspondingly-numbered lines in Fig. 5. Figs. 10, 11, and 12 represent sections on the line 10 10 of Fig. 3, with portions broken away, said figures showing successive positions of the parts.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

Referring to the drawings, a designates the casing or framework of the register, and b designates a shaft running longitudinally thereof and mounted to revolve in bearings a in the end walls of the casing. Loosely mounted on said shaft are a number of keylevers c c, projecting through slots a a in the front of the casing and having numbered keys 01' heads 0 c on their upper ends. Alongside of each key-lever are mounted three wheels or disks d ef, the first one, d, being keyed or fixed to the shaft 1) by means of a feather (1 while the other two disks 2 f are loose on said shaft. The disks d and e have ratchet-teeth d e formed on their peripheries. At one end of the shaft are mounted three additional wheels or disks g h i, the first of which, 9, is fixed to the shaft by means of a feather 9 while the other two are loose on the shaft. A key-groove 1), common to all the keys or feathers d 9 is out longitudinally in the shaft 12. Each key-lever c carries at its lower and forwardly-projecting end pivoted on a stud 0 two pawls 7a m, the pawl 70 having formed on its back edge a notched projection is. The pawls are normally actuated in a direction to engage the ratchet-teeth on the disks d e by means of springs o affixed to the keylever c.

The key-levers a have a throw of a quarter of a revolution or ninety degrees, and as the ratchet-teeth cl 6' are shown in the present instance as onehundredin number the maximum amount of rotation which can be imparted by a key to one of its disks at one stroke corresponds to twenty-five teeth.

Below the ratchet-teeth on the several disks (Z c are mounted shields 0 0, covering the space traveled over by the ends of the pawls 7a m and curved to followthe contour of the wheels. Said segmental shields are attached at their upper ends to the casing a, and at their lower ends to a bar a fixed in said casing and ex tending longitudinally thereof. Underneath the wheels (1 the shields 0 are cut away at varying points, as shown in Fig. 7, and the edges or abutments 0, marking the beginning of the cut-away portions, determine the points at which the pawls 71*, will engage the ratchetteeth of the said wheels d. The numbers of teeth so exposed to the various pawls 70 run in the present machine, as indicated by the numbering on the keys in Fig. 1, in regular order from three to twenty-five, which means thatif the first key at the left should be moved through the full extent of its stroke its pawl 70 would slide over the surface of the corresponding shield 0 for a distance of twentytwo teeth of the ratchet-disk d and would then engage the corresponding wheel or disk cl and move it a distance of three teeth. The pawl 75 of the last key at the right engages its ratchet-disk d at once and moves the same through a distance of twenty-five teeth in each complete stroke. The manner of opera tion of the pawls 7c is illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11.

The shields 0 are left intact below the ratchet-teeth of the second set of disks or wheels 6 for nearly the wholelength of travel of the pawls m, there being one tooth exposed on each disk 6, so that each key at the end of a stroke moves its disk 6 a distance corresponding to one tooth. This operation is illustrated in Fig. 12, wherein it is seen that the .edge or abutment 0 marking the second cutaway portion on the shield 0, occurs at such a place as to permit one tooth e to be engaged by the pawl m.

In the back of the casing a is mounted a longitudinally-extending shaft 1), and loosely journaled on said shaft are a number of small ratchet-wheels p and gears 19 The hubs of each pair of ratchets and gears 19 p are con nected so that the two rotate together, and the teeth of the gears are engaged with gearteeth f, formed on the peripheries of the third set of wheels or disksf corresponding to the several keys 0, while the teeth of the ratchets p are placed opposite the spaces between the second and third disks cf in position to be engaged once in every revolution of the disks 6 by trips or projections 6 located on the several said disks 6. In each revolution of a disk eits projection e engages and moves the corresponding ratchet p a distance of one tooth,and in so doing causes the corresponding disk f to move one one-hundredth of arotation. Asimilar arrangement of ratchets p 11 engaged by trips g 7L2 on the disks g h, and gears 19 p rotating with the ratchets and engaged with gear-teeth h 2", formed on the disks h 2', provides for the rotation of the disk It once in one hundred rotations ot' the disk 9 and the rotation of the disk 2' once in one hundred rotations of the disk h. Suitable check-pawls d" 13 composed of spring metal and attached to the back of the casing a, are engaged with the teeth of the disks or wheels cl ep 1), so as to prevent the backward rotation of the several wheels.

The peripheries of the several disks efand of the disks 9, 71, andz' are each numbered from 1 to 100, the said numbers showing one line at a time through glazed openings (4 a a in the front of the casing a.

For the purpose of locking the pawls 7c against the ratchet-disks (1 during intermediate portions of the movement of said disks (Z and preventing the return of any key-lever 0 until the operative portion of its stroke has been completed I provide the following construction and arrangement of mechanism: Extending longitudinally of the machine in the front of the casing is a railj, attached to armsj, which are hung loosely on the shaft 1), only one of said arms being shown in the drawings. Each of the key-levers c has formed on its end a projection or step 0 which takes over the top of the rail 3'. Rcturning-sprin gs j (only one of which is shown,) attached to tions, along with the rail, after any of the keys have been depressed.

Journaled in the armsj and extending lon gitudinaliy of the machine is an oscillatory latch j whose free edge normally slightly overlaps the notched projections 7; on the pawls 7c, as represented in Figs. 2 and 10. This latch carries at one end, outside of the arm j, a dogj, against which a spring 7' attached to the arm j, presses in such manner as to actuate the edge of the latch j in the direc tion of the pawls 70. A hooked catch j, pivoted on a stud j on the arm j, is adapted to engage the dogj and its heel is pressed by a spring j on the arm j in a direction to produce such engagement. A pin 3'", Figs. 2 and 4 mounted in the side of the casing a, is adapted to engage and depress the heel of the catch j when the rail j is brought to its normal position and move the hook end of said catch away from the dogj, disengaging the two, if they have previously been in engagement.

When any one of the key-levers c is depressed, it carries the rail j and the other parts supported by the armsj along with it. During the first part of such movement of the key-lever and rail the parts have the positions represented in Figs. 2 and 10, in which, as before stated,the oscillatorylatchj slightly overlaps the edge of the notched projection on the pawl 70, carried by said key-lever. As soon, however, as the said pawl 70 comes into engagement with the ratchet-disk d the resulting inward movement of the pawl will cause the end of the latch 7' to slip into the notch in the projection 70 and will then prevent said pawl from turning outwardly on its pivot. The pawlis thereby effectually locked in contact with the ratchet-disk (Land in con sequence the key-lever cannot be moved back toward its initial position until its full stroke has been completed. At the end of the stroke the latch 7' is moved out of engagement with the notched projection 70 on the pawl by the dog 7 coming in contact with an abutment or plate j affixed to the side of the casing a, which oscillates the latch j on its pivot, as represented in Figs. 6 and 12. At the same time the hooked catch 7' engages the end of the dog 7' and holds the latch j retracted until the rail and key-lever have been returned by the springs 7' to their initial posi tion. As they reach this position, the pinj" on the casing engages the heel of the catch j and releases the dog from its engagement by said catch, allowing the spring to bring the latch 7' against the projections L on the several pawls k, Figs. 2 and 10. Each of the key-levers c has formed on it a hook c, adapted to be engaged, when thekey-lever reaches its normal position, as represented in Figs. 2 and 6, by a spring-catch 0 attached to the back of the casing a, whereby those key-levers which are not in use are held from falling over while a key-lever is being operated. By the arrangement described for locking the pawls 7c against their ratchet-disksa person operating the register is prevented from making the mistake of depressing any of the keys part way and then allowing it to return, so as to give only a partial tally for that key.

The operation of myimproved register will be readily understood from the foregoing. Each key when depressed tallies one number on its own index, and at the same time by rotating the shaft 6, through the medium of the toothed disk cl, it tallies on the totalregister at the left of the machine a number corresponding to that marked on its key-head. Said total-register will therefore show the sum of the numbers on the several keys thus depressed. For instance, if the keys 5 and 7 should be depressed in succession the reg: ister at the left of the machine would show a total of 12, or if the key 20 should be depressed twice the register would show a total of 40.

The machine as illustrated in the drawings is particularly adapted for use in tallying lumber in yards or sawmills. If the register were being used in a sawmill, each board as it was sawed would be recorded on the register by depressing the key indicating the number of feet contained in that board. The register would show at the end of the operation the total number of feet of lumber sawed on the index at the left and also on the individual indexes the number of boards of each size which had been sawed.

The register may obviously be employed for other uses than tallying lumber.

Having thus explained the nature of my invention and described a way of constructing and using the same, although without having attempted to set forth all the forms in which it may be embodied or all the modes of its use, I declare that what I claim is- 1. In a register, a plurality of operatingkeys, individual indexes for the several keys, a total-index, and connections so constructed that the several keys register equally on their individual indexes and differently on the total-index.

2. In a register, a plurality of operatingkeys, a shaft, a pair of wheels for each key, operated by said key, one of said wheels being fixed on the shaft and the other being an indexwheel for the key and loose on said shaft, and an additional index'wheel fixed to the shaft.

In a register, a plurality of operatingkeys, a pair of ratchet-wheels for each key, two pawls moved by each key, and adapted to engage said ratchets, and means for controlling saidpawls, said means being so constructed that the point of engagement of one pawl is made the same for each key, while that of the other pawl is made different for each key.

4. In a register, a plurality of operatingkeys, ratchet-wheels for the several keys, pawls actuated by the said keys and adapted to engage said ratchet-wheels, the shields 0 following the contour of said ratchet-Wheels and constructed to cover portions of their toothed peripheries and to expose other port-ions thereof to the action of the pawls, the points of the pawls sliding over the ratchet covering portions of the shields, and registering mechanism operated by the coaction of said pawls and ratchet-wheels.

5. In a register, an operating-key, a ratchet wheel, a pawl positively connected with the key and moving therewith throughout the whole stroke of the key, and a device constructed to withhold said pawl from engagement with the ratchet-wheel duringa part of the stroke of the key and to permit such engagement during another part of said stroke.

6. In a register, an operating-key,'a pawl positively connected therewith, a ratchetwheel, means for preventing the reverse rotation of said wheel, registering mechanism actuated by the coaction of said pawl and said ratchet-Wheel, and means'for automatically locking the pawl to the ratchet-wheel to prevent the return of the key in intermediate portions of its operative stroke.

7. In a register, an operating-key, a pawl positively connected therewith, a ratchetwheel, means for preventing the reverse rotation of said wheel, registering mechanism actuated by the coaction of said pawl and said ratchet-wheel, means for automatically locking the pawl to the ratchet-wheel to pre* vent the return of the key in intermediate portions of its operative stroke, and means for unlocking said pawl at the end of said stroke.

8. In aregister, a plurality of reciprocatory operating-keys, registering mechanism actuated thereby, and a latch common to the several keys and adapted to lock anyone of them at intermediate portions of its operative stroke.

9. In a register, a plurality of reciprocatory operating-keys, pawls moved thereby, ratchetwheels, registering mechanism actuated'by the coaction of said pawls and ratchet-wheels, a latch common to the several pawls and adapted to lock any of them against their corresponding ratchets, and a latch-carrier adapted to be moved by any of said keys.

10. In a register, a plurality of reciprocatory operating-keys, registering mechanism actuated thereby, a latch common to the several keys and adapted to lock the same, a latch-carrier adapted to be moved by the keys, a catch mounted on said carrier and adapted to render the latch inoperative, a fixed member operating at the end of the stroke of a key to render said catch operative, and a second fixed member operating on said catch at the end of the return stroke, to effect the release of the latch.

11. In a register, a shaft, a plurality of operatin g-keys loosely mounted thereon, index- 'wh'e'els mohnted thei'eoh, a latch common to the several keys and adapted to lock the same in intermediate portions of their operative strokes, Match-carrier adapted to beengaged I and moved by the several keys and loosely mounted on said shaft, and a retuining-spring for said latch-carrier;

In testimony whereof Ihave affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ARTHUR e. S POFF'ORD.

Vitnesses: H

HORACE BROYVN; A. D. HARRISO'N. 

